From a corridor on a map to pipelines in the ground

The PEH corridor is around 70 metres wide on average. Within this corridor, and in accordance with the established framework, we are investigating the exact location of the pipelines.

There is a whole process between drawing a line on a map and laying a pipeline in the ground. Suppose, for example, that a possible route crosses agricultural land. There may be a ditch around the field, existing cables or pipelines underground, and a row of trees along its boundary. The soil itself may also consist of different layers. We map all these features so that the pipelines can later be laid safely and carefully.

Specialists therefore investigate aspects including soil conditions, nature, archaeology and groundwater levels. They go out into the area, collect data and gradually develop an increasingly detailed picture of what is there.

The designers use this information to develop the route in greater detail. Sometimes the investigations confirm that a proposed location is feasible. Sometimes a minor adjustment is needed within the established project framework, while in other cases the findings raise new questions. Research and design therefore continuously inform one another.

Only if investigations show that construction at a particular location within the PEH corridor is not possible because of a technical or spatial constraint will a local deviation be necessary. The route will then return to the PEH corridor as soon as possible.

Maps and survey data do not tell the whole story. People who live, work or own land in the area often know it in great detail. A landowner, for example, may know that part of a field becomes difficult to access after heavy rainfall. A municipality will know where a new road or residential development is planned.

Within the established PEH corridor, we investigate how the pipelines can be safely accommodated and laid. Local knowledge can help us determine the exact location of the pipelines, the construction method, accessibility and how best to prepare for construction. That is why our project team starts talking to landowners, residents, businesses, municipalities, water authorities and other stakeholders at an early stage. Their questions, concerns, interests and local knowledge are discussed with our specialists and designers.

This does not mean that all disruption can be avoided or that every request can be accommodated. However, input from the local area helps us identify interests at an early stage and take them into account, enabling us to make careful choices within the established framework.

DRC West covers a distance of around 140 kilometres and passes through several municipalities. Along the route, we encounter a range of challenges, each requiring an appropriate solution. What works in open agricultural land, for example, may be difficult in a nature area. This can affect both how the pipelines are laid and when the work can take place.

That is why many different people work together on the same puzzle. Site and environmental specialists investigate conditions in and around the soil. Regional managers talk to stakeholders. Land affairs specialists consult landowners about the use of their land. Permitting advisers prepare the necessary procedures and decisions.

Designers and engineers develop the technical solutions. For example, they determine how a pipeline can cross a railway line, road or watercourse. Colleagues responsible for the later construction phase are also involved from an early stage. They assess whether heavy machinery can reach a site, whether there is enough room to work safely and how emissions during construction can be kept as low as possible. After all, a solution must not only work on paper; it must also be possible to carry it out safely on site.

All parts of the project are interconnected. If an assumption changes at one location, this can have consequences for the design, investigations, permits, landowners and construction. The specialists involved assess these consequences together and reconsider whether the solution remains safe, feasible and acceptable. This interaction takes time, but it helps us arrive at a carefully considered design.

The PEH corridor provides the direction and forms the basis for further development of the route. By bringing together the results of investigations, technical expertise and knowledge of the local area, we are working step by step towards a route that is safe and feasible and takes the surrounding area into account as far as possible.

Once the pipelines are in operation, there will be little to see above ground. But there is still a great deal to do before we reach that point.

Do you know the area well? If so, share important information via the Interests Map. This could include information about flooding, future plans, how a particular field or plot of land is used, access to a sports club or other association, or recurring events in public spaces or on the water, such as village festival, rowing race or fishing competition.

This information helps us better understand how the area is used and enables us to take this into account as much as possible when preparing for construction.